THE CITIZEN ROSEBUD

OUTFIT POST Exotic Quixotic

2022-04-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

AMERICANO Y ROJO

I took these photos the December of 2020, when it was cold enough to wear this toasty (and heavy) vintage hunter's jacket, and I felt really comfortable in this outfit of reds, black and white. There's nothing high fashion about this look, in fact it looks a bit proletarian to me, and I think I love it all the more for that.

I feel like I look very much like "me." And I like the pattern play and the color mix. For me, the color mix of black, red and white are probably one of the most flattering, and it really creates a presence. This is something I wear when "working" which includes sorting, cleaning and well pretty much anything that needs to get done. Here's another outfit featuring this vintage hunter coat: SNOW DAY WITH BONNET

Coming up, I'll be posting a couple more Winter Lewks, then catch you up on some fun spring outfits I've been wearing. They share some common elements, such as being mostly secondhand sourced, or from my own closet, as well as focusing on "forever style."

NOW WEARING:

Star Wars/Van cotton bandana, thrifted
JC Penny's vintage 1980s wool hunter jacket, eBay
Vintage 90s science tee, thrifted
Vintage Navajo silver jewelry, Black Iris Vtg
JW Anderson for Uniqlo gingham skirt, Uniqlo
Striped nylon socks, We Love Colors
Leather clogs, neighbor free pile

ROSEBUD RAMBLE: You Tik-y You Tok-y, Me 8-Track-y

2022-04-08T09:21:00.006-07:00

IN THE DIGITAL AGE, ANALOG IS STILL APT AF

While a normal person in my age bracket would be working on brushing up her TikTok skillz, I am plunging back in the medium that first connected me to the people I connect with on the internet. Not sure why, other than I am sort of an odd, old fashioned gal, who just wants to do it the way I want to do it.

So bear with me, I'm feeling rusty, but determined. I'd like to use this channel as a way to share some of my thoughts on sustainable fashion, personal style and the power of community. Stay tuned.....

Meanwhile, here are some older, earlier posts from some years ago, that I still connected to- and here they are, in no particular order:

There are also some people I'd like to thank for visiting this page! They are lovely souls, I'm honored to connect with and they have blogs too, so DO consider visiting their blogs as well:

OUTFIT POST: Snow Day (with Bonnet)

2022-04-03T22:46:00.001-07:00

BONNET LASS

These photos were taken on a snow day earlier this winter in January. I mean MAJOR SNOW. I had to wear snow shoes just to make it down the hill to get to my work studio. It was COLD. But I was prepared. I donned thick layers and trekked on in. And when I saw myself in the mirror, I absolutely loved the way it looked. I felt like a wooly Babushka, especially with my new crochet bonnet, a neighbor made for me from my local Buy Nothing group.

So forgive the total picture dump, but I love how the self portraits turned out. Even though the images are slightly redundant, I liked how dynamic each image is. And so I share them with you!

My five year old self would be quite fond of this outfit- it contains the same reasoning a kid might use to get dressed. A mix of practicality (it had snowed and the streets were a winter wonderland) and my favorite things, a black cotton dress with pink flower embroidery, a grandpa cardi, covered in polka dots, and my new bonnet!

Those Prada crochet hats were stuff of my dreams and I had put out a request to get something similar. A sweet lady answered the call and she crocheted me a pastel pink and sage green striped cap with ties. It kinda looks like a baby's bonnet, and also, something Lil Edie of Gray Gardens would wear.

Something I'd like to share with you in my recent style journey, is that I'm now only acquiring long term items- clothes and accessories that I intend to wear for years! In the past, I feared that "forever style" garment would be boring- after all, aren't they going to be neutral and basic and safe? Well, maybe not.

To eschew trends- won't that make me look stodgey and outdated? We're going to find out. This outfit is comprised 100% off pieces that were selected because I presume they are going to be around for while.

Silly baby hat- oh you're gonna see more of this!
Vintage Hunter's jacket, a winter classic!
A chunky grandpa cardigan sweater, BUT WITH POLKA DOTS? Keeper.
Flattering, comfortable, well made cotton dress: until I outgrow it, I'm going to wear it.
Old jeans that I've had for about 6 years, will probably be around for another six.

I've recently packed up these winter essentials- the heavy coat and snow boots aren't needed for April's promise of sun. But you will see the other items in various iterations. For now, it's all about feeling good, being comfortable in my own skin, and to be able to express myself in clothes.

NOW WEARING:

Hand Crocheted Bonnet, gifted Buy Nothing
Hershel Floral Fanny Bag, Nordstrom's
Vintage Mens Red Plaid Hunters Jacket, Black Iris Vtg
Mens Wool Blend Chunky Cardigan, Levi's
Black Cotton Dress, J. Crew
Thrifted Jeans, Goodwill
Sorrel Snow Boots in Buffalo Check, similar on eBay
Traction Snow Cleats, REI

PHOTO ESSAY: Life is This + This is Living

2022-03-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

LIFE IS THIS + this is living.

If I could sum up my life in 5 sharp pictures,
I wonder if these would do.

OUTFIT POST: Basics But Better

2022-03-05T13:45:00.011-08:00

Not So Basic, Basics

So in my recent goal to create and sustain a "forever style" wardrobe, I've been on the look-out for versatile, timeless pieces made from quality fabrics that are designed to look good years from now, not just while they are "NEW."

Quality pieces are often a bit more expensive than "fast fashion," so it takes some careful shopping, and that means I keep my eye out for bargains and sales on garments made from silk, wool and linen. SHOPPER'S TIP: choosing a secondhand option often allows you to source a great garment at a good price.

Confession: for the past couple of years, I've been having trouble finding good garments in natural fabrics IN MY SIZE since, ahem, I've gained a bit, and now weigh-in close to 180 lbs. Ugh. The racks in the plus size section at most thrifts are packed with polyester and synthetic fabrics and none of it looks good, while most of it feels cheap. Also they are often times either too frilly for my taste, or are prints I am not fond of. I literally have not found any scores in my size and taste in a thrift store (other than tees, and the occasional jacket) for years now. So, I have taken to shopping online for cough-cough, BRAND NEW stuff.

Which is "FUN," but-
it really is much more expensive than what I'm used to, as a committed shopper of vintage and secondhand good- I'm used to good stuff for less money. I have been cheered however, by seeing quite a bit of companies who are more dedicated to quality and sustainably produced items than I have in the past.

Some "common" brands I've enjoyed lately are Madewell and Uniqlo, two brands that I also look for when thrifting! I find the quality pretty good, AND the styles are not particularly "trendy," so when I do buy a garment, I feel I can get years of wear from them.

The leopard crossbody bag is something I bought last year on clearance from Madewell and I'm very happy with it! I got an additional colorful strap for a little more style zest, but I see they now offer a leopard print one- and that's one I wish I had as well.

The skirt is from a collection I adore! A 100% linen skirt that can do double duty as a strapless dress and I bought two on sale. This one is in navy blue and its from a Uniqlo collab with one of my favorite designers, JW Anderson. Purchase price was under $15 so a steal, really.

The blouse is something I bought to look more "professional" when I got a gig playing retail salesperson at a local boutique. It's a nice silk short sleeve blouse by Lilysilk, and while I find it a bit boring, I do think it can be more versatile than I'm giving it credit for.

What do you think? Are these basics you'd consider?

NOW WEARING:

Red wool bowler hat, available HERE
Animal print crossbody bag with added colorful strap: Madewell
Lilysilk mulberry silk camp-shirt in black, purchased on Amazon
Navy blue linen skirt, on clearance at Uniqlo
Leopard ponyhair leather slides from Hush Puppies

NOTE: some links are affiliate links and purchasing from this site may result in a commission.

Leopard Friends

2022-02-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

SEEING SPOTS

I will admit, there are some people, even when you just meet them, you know they are your people.

That's how I feel about the people in the above picture. One, is a lovely lady who bought something from me on eBay, and as she was a fellow Seattle-ite, she wanted to save on shipping and pick up locally. When she came in, I was smitten with her sweet demeanor AND her awesome style. She wore a leopard print coat, and a vintage fedora hat with an animal print satin band. The other women, my friend and colleague, Debi B, is also wearing a hat, and a leopard print dress.

I had snapped these fast pic last December and looking upon it, I notice they are both expressing great personal style wearing leopard prints. What a great pattern that tells so much about the wearer.

Leopard can be many things to many people- it is a reference to a certain type of royalty, a wildness, it's Lady Temptation, it is rebellious and punk. And it is also a bit of a classic, something that's been around so long, that while it is a busy print, it is also nearly a neutral.

How do you "recognize" your tribe? Do they dress like you? Do you like the same movies and books? Go to the same cafes and restaurants? Shop the same shops?

OUTFIT POST: Aztec Winter

2022-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

COLOR FOR A WHITE CHRISTMAS

It's been snowing this past week or so in Seattle, which is NOT a common thing. We're talking loads of snow! When it first started snowing, I had walked to my neighbors place to visit, and had left deep footprints in the snow walking there, but when I returned home an hour or so later, those footprints were gone, completely covered by more snow!

And, it's been c-c-c-cold! Layers are the way to go, and what has kept my biscuits toasty and warm has been this AMAZING vintage Meso American woven huipil, hand loomed and embroidered from a thick wool yarn. The dress is a pull over, and quite loose fitting so it can easily go over other garments.

The "wee peel's" appeal? IT IS EFFECTIVE
Layered over a silk chemise and thermal leggings, and worn under a very heavy vintage woolen hunter jacket, this beautiful work of textile art definitely kept me warm, and left me feeling joyfully colorful.

Also joyful, are my new sneakers, a gift from the dude for Christmas. I've been needing more practical, comfortable walking shoes, and was feeling bummed about how "stodgy" some of the options were. Well, he found these Marimekko X Adidas kicks, and they add such a fun splash of style to my comfort!

I enjoyed wearing this outfit so much, that I wore it for three days straight. During those days, I felt warm in spite of walking up and down hills covered with snow, and working in a drafty studio. I also loved the unique style of mixing the ethnic dress with my winter essentials of vintage trapper cap, and hunter's jacket. I felt when I wore this, that winter couldn't keep my spirits down!

Tell me, would YOU wear something so unconventional during a snow storm?

NOW WEARING:

vintage Eddie Bauer wool trapper cap, available HERE
vintage J.C. Penney woolen hunter's jacket, eBay
vintage handwoven woolen huipil dress, Lady Lair Vintage on Etsy
not shown (under the huipil) Eileen Fisher silk dress, similar HERE
Duofold black thermal leggings, buy yours on Amazon
Marimekko X Adidas ultraboost, gifted, also available at ZAPPOS

Last Years Vintage: The Pendleton, Part 1

2021-12-23T13:19:00.001-08:00

The Pendleton, Part 1: Pendleton IS as Pendleton Does

Last year, I purchased this coat on eBay, it was an attractive men's car coat made by Pendleton, and the price was relatively cheap enough, I thought I could flip it for a profit. When it showed up, it was in even better condition than described, surprisingly light weight, and it fit me well. I have a heavy weight winter coat, a hunter's jacket in red and black plaid, and some light weight coats, but for cold but not freezing weather, I was in need of something warm, but not too warm. This fit the bill.

So I kept it for myself.

It was around this time of year last year, so these photos are a year old, but it is likely I would style it similarly now. Since I just pulled it out of storage, replaced a missing button, it is the coat I grab to leave the house, so I'll see what photos I can take of it now and share with you.

While I'm not a person who is a brand snob by any means, there are some brands and label that do impress me and that I will seek out. Pendleton is one such brand. The quality through-out the years is top notch, and while vintage 1950s 49er jackets are perfection, even recently made garments (and blankets) are well made and made to last. It is a brand that seems committed to quality, and I can appreciate that.

Are there any heritage labels that attract your brand loyalty?

NOW WEARING:

no make-up!
vintage 1950s Pendleton wool car coat, eBay
GAP black cotton eyelet dress, thrifted

OUTFIT POST Grunge Girl

2021-11-30T10:18:00.006-08:00

GOT GRUNGE?

What to do when FASHION comes back to the 1990s style you never left.

I'm pretty sure I came into my personal style in the late 80s, early 90s, and so, still feel pretty fond of the spirit, and the aesthetics of that time. Whenever lately, I put together an ensemble that I'm feeling pretty sassy about, I'll get the backsided compliment that I'm "looking so very 90s today," LOL.

My personal style includes an undiminished love of plaids, of old things chippy and holey, and a constant mishmash of vintage on vintage on vintage. Never true to any one decade or era, but savoring so many elements about each. Which, when I think about it, is very much an ethos taken from the 90s.

This past year, I've been rededicating my wardrobe to my personal style- and to DRESS TO EXPRESS. After a year or so of constant lounge and sweatpants attire, I've committed to upping my style game- and to do so, I've been focusing on adding FOREVER STYLE elements to my closet.

Case in point, every single item in this outfit is something that would have been fashionable in the last decade, and will be stylish still, in the next.

1) A SHADOW PLAID FLANNEL SHIRT: perfectly classic 1950s teen attire, and it reminds me of my favorite cholo uncle who wore shirts like this over a crisp white Hanes t-shirt, with his oversized khaki Ben Davis or Dickies work pants and Converse high tops throughout the 1970s. Flannel: top button buttoned only. Whenever I do a top button only, it is an homage to my late Uncle Johnny.

2) THE SIMPLE SOLID COLOR TUBE TOP DRESS: personally, I LOVE tube top bodices on summer dresses! It accommodates whatever boob size I happen to be sporting at the time, and it works so well as an under layer in the spring and fall. This one is made from linen, so it has definitely been on high rotation since I bought it on sale last spring.

3) WOODEN HEELED CLOGS: the OG of clogs and so very Swedish, so very seventies and so very noisy when strolling well, anywhere. But there is an outsider chic to them - librarian, Bergman, and permanent boho wrapped up in one. While the ugly-cute factor might not be for everyone- for those that do appreciate their appeal, will do so regardless of shoe trends.

So with the shirt, I felt I could style it one of two ways: Cholita or Grunge, and for this day, I chose an updated Grunge'ish look. First thing I did to the shirt though was rip it up, to add a bit of raggedy to the shirt, because it isn't vintage and I wanted a more vintage look. I added some personalized elements to it too- an old vintage grosgrain ribbon, a silk flower petal sewn on with a button embellishment. I'm looking forward in adding more personalized elements to the shirt and feeling it reflect more of my personal style over time.

The clean ivory white of the linen dress adds a bit of modernity to the look- while inspired by the 90s, I don't want look to be stuck in that decade. The dress is actually a skirt- it's a Uniqlo score from their JW Anderson collection and while it works OK as a skirt for me, I really find it suits me well by raising it up to my chest and wearing it as a dress.

The clogs look to be a vintage pair but I don't know for sure as there is no label inside the shoes. The heels are wooden, and the leather uppers are a pretty good quality. I like the low heel but don't like the loud noise they make with my walking. They may not be forever in my closet, regardless of their eternal appeal.

NOW WEARING:

Plaid cotton shirt, Xhilaration (Target label) THRIFTED from Goodwill
Linen Skirt/converted dress, JW Anderson, CLEARANCE, Uniqlo
Black leather, wooden heel clogs, label missing, THRIFTED from Goodwill

Tell me, how would YOU style a plaid shirt to harken the 1990s?

Generic YOU

2021-11-08T08:00:00.001-08:00

THE TRUE YOU MAY BE SOMEONE YOU HAVEN'T YET MET.

She had
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.

In English grammar and in particular in casual English, generic, impersonal, or indefinite you is the use of the pronoun you to refer to an unspecified person, as opposed to its standard use as the second-person pronoun. Generic you can often be used in the place of one, the third-person singular impersonal pronoun, in colloquial speech.

What does it mean to be you?
Will any you, just do?

"First, we need to think a bit more about what we mean by identity.
If identity provides us with the means of answering the question ‘who am I?’ it might appear to be about personality; the sort of person I am. That is only part of the story. Identity is different from personality in important respects. We may share personality traits with other people, but sharing an identity suggests some active engagement on our part. We choose to identify with a particular identity or group. Sometimes we have more choice than others. This chunk will address the relative importance of structures, the forces beyond our control which shape our identities, and agency, the degree of control which we ourselves can exert over who we are. Identity requires some awareness on our part. Personality describes qualities individuals may have, such as being outgoing or shy, internal characteristics, but identity requires some element of choice. For example, I may go to football matches on Saturdays because I enjoy shouting loudly with a crowd of lively extroverts, but I go to watch Sheffield Wednesday because I want to identify with that particular team, to wear that scarf and make a statement about who I am, and, of course, because I want to state that I support one Sheffield team and not the other (Sheffield United). We may be characterized by having personality traits, but we have to identify with – that is, actively take up – an identity.
This example also illustrates the importance of marking oneself as having the same identity as one group of people and a different one from others. Think about a situation where you meet someone for the first time and, in trying to find out who they are, ask questions about where they come from and what they do. In such situations we are trying to find out what makes up this person and also what makes them the same as us – that is, what we have in common – and what makes them different. If you see somebody wearing the badge of an organization to which you also belong, it marks that person out as being the same as you, as sharing an identity. Or consider a situation where, traveling abroad, hearing the voices of those who speak your own language, you feel both a sense of recognition and of belonging. In a strange place, finding people who share our language provides us with something and someone with whom we can identify. Or imagine that you are on a train, and a stranger in the compartment is reading the local newspaper from the town where you were born. You might strike up a conversation which includes references to what you have in common. This presents a moment of recognition and of having something in common with another person who shares an identity with you. Identity is marked by similarity, that is of the people like us, and by difference, of those who are not. There are other examples which are less reassuring, where the appropriate identity is not established, and where, for example, one may be denied access to credit or hire purchase, pension or sickness benefits, or entry to a club or restaurant, or, even more significantly, to a country.
How do we know which people are the same as us? What information do we use to categorise others and ourselves? In the examples above, what is often important is a symbol, like a badge, a team scarf, a newspaper, the language we speak, or perhaps the clothes we wear. Sometimes it is obvious. A badge can be a clear public statement that we identify with a particular group. Sometimes it is more subtle, but symbols and representations are important in marking the ways in which we share identities with some people and distinguish ourselves as different from others.
In this sense, although as individuals we have to take up identities actively, those identities are necessarily the product of the society in which we live and our relationship with others. Identity provides a link between individuals and the world in which they live. Identity combines how I see myself and how others see me. Identity involves the internal and the subjective, and the external. It is a socially recognized position, recognized by others, not just by me.
However, how I see myself and how others see me do not always fit. For example, individuals may view themselves as high achievers, worthy of promotion, yet be viewed by their employer as less than successful. The young people noisily returning home from a club in the early hours of the morning may be seen by others as troublemakers. Think about some of the ways in which how you see yourself may be at variance with others' perception of you. This could be at a more personal level, in the context of family and friendship relationships, or at a more public or even global level, where particular characteristics are attributed to specific national or ethnic groups. A sense of conflicting identities may result from the tensions between having to be a student, a parent, and an employee at the same time: these are examples of the multiple identities which people have.
The link between myself and others is not only indicated by the connection between how I see myself and how other people see me, but also by the connection between what I want to be and the influences, pressures and opportunities which are available. Material, social and physical constraints prevent us from successfully presenting ourselves in some identity positions – constraints which include the perceptions of others. Criminal identities are often produced through the exaggeration of stereotyping, where newspaper reports reproduce the notion of a criminal identity as young, male and black (Mooney et al., 2000). Criminality can be produced by others who construct this category of person. This process of stereotyping certain groups as criminal also illustrates some of the imbalances and inequalities in the relationship between the individual and the world outside.
The subject, ‘I’ or ‘we’ in the identity equation, involves some element of choice, however limited. The concept of identity encompasses some notion of human agency; an idea that we can have some control in constructing our own identities. There are, of course, constraints which may lie in the external world, where material and social factors may limit the degree of agency which individuals may have. Lack of material resources severely limits the opportunities we have; as in the case of poverty and economic constraints. It is impossible to have an identity as a successful career woman if one is without a job and if there are no employment opportunities. Other limitations to our autonomy may reside within us, for example in the bodies which we inhabit, as illustrated by the ageing process, by physical impairments, illness and the actual size and shape of our bodies." (source)

Do you own
your persona? Or, did you

sell your mystique?

I am your opus,
I am your valuable,
The pure gold baby

That melts to a shriek.

How + when do you present your generic you?

When you drop the name brand bland,
and go as dew?

San serif, without the teeth,
without a whisper of queef.

The best behavior you,
stomach all sucked in,

not a butter pat of sin.
All bird and no beak.

Is this
the you,

you seek?

OUTFIT POST Accio Mah Assio

2021-11-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

THE UH, SUMMONING CHARMS

These glasses aren't perched on my face to help me see- they are the useless but fashionable sort with blanks for lenses. But cute, eh? They remind me of Harry Potter. So to uh, cast a spell of enchantment, I posed with them and they did manage to add a bit of something to my outfit, don't you think?

These photos were taken this past summer, when I first moved into the BT/W studio. The light in the space has such a nice quality- these are taken with just natural daylight coming through the windows.

I've been attracted to garments that have a timeless quality to them, and this blouse is a case in point. While it's a no name cotton blouse, I like the vague ethnic quality to it, and think the floral embroidery on the front is a quiet call-back to the bold floral print on the skirt. Nothing fancy here, just a solid, comfy separates that can mix and match with a variety of other items.

I'll admit, I love the Harry Potter books but CONFESSION:

I've somehow NOT managed to watch all of the Harry Potter films. I watched the first 3 I think and just forgot about them. BUT- that does not stop me from being giddy about the upcoming LE GRAND OPENING of a wizard bar in my neck of the woods!

More specifically in Ballard. Which somehow seems oh-so-appropo that SEATTLE IS SOON to have a wizard themed bar in our city! It's called The Splintered Wand, and you can learn more about them HERE.

NOW WEARING

Non-prescription round black framed glasses, a FREE PILE grab
Unbranded cotton blouse, thrifted from the GOODWILL
Shein colorblock floral pleated skirt, AMAZON
Checkerboard chunky leather sandals, ALOHAS

ADVICE FOR LIVING: black cat edition

2021-11-01T08:00:00.002-07:00

ADVICE FOR LIVING

ADVICE #1

DON'T be a ghost.

Don't go through your life as if you don't matter.
Don't let the world push you around as if invisible
You have every right to be here. YOU ARE HERE.

ADVICE #2

SEEK OUT your kindred spirits.

Keep an eye out for them, see them for who they are,
and cherish your time with them.

ADVICE #3

DON'T feed the ghosts.

Do not give your energy away
to the past, or to those who are no longer present.
FEEL the past, but do not FEED it.

ADVICE #4

OWN the journey.

This is your adventure. Own it.
It's on you- so get a good road map
and get yourself to the port of call of YOUR choosing.

While you may not be here for a reason,
there's a good reason why you're here.

HEY PUMPKIN

2021-10-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

PUMPED FOR PUMPKIN!

It's Halloween, and while I may not be dressed up in costume or handing out candy, I will admit, it's a favorite holiday for some reason. There's lots of ways to celebrate it, and it's not just about giving yourself cavities. How do YOU?

Fall is my favorite season, when it's not Spring. And I'm am feeling the full brunt of Fall today. Fall is about being caught in between. You go from this to that, and once in full bloom, we gently fold our petals and get ready to wind things down. This is a season of remembrance, of savoring, of honoring.

And...also, SWEATERS.

SMELLS LIKE team spirit

2021-10-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

“Perfume follows you; it chases you and lingers behind you. It’s a reference mark. Perfume makes silence talk.”

– Sonia Rykiel

A NOSE FOR ROSE: I'd been on a casual hunt for a new signature scent, so when FB friend Stephanie Quick gave a shout out to her pal (who happens to be from my hometown, Sacramento) who happens to be a perfumer, I took it as a sign to try some on for size. Ordered me a sampler pack.

While I didn't discover my future everyday smell, I did enjoy some unusual and creative concoctions. If you're on the path to explore your world through perfume, DO give Arabesque Aromas a peek.

Stephanie is a blogger and YouTuber who waxes enthusiastically about the arcane and the esoteric. She also is a cheerful cheerleader and promoter of friend 's endeavors, especially if they are arcane and esoteric. So I feel that she will appreciate this next bit, a bit.

NO BONES ABOUT IT: she's going to be missed.

I'm not sure why, but for the past year or so, there have been TWO, two large skeleton yard displays in my neighborhood. One I know started the Halloween before last, when a family bought the jumbo yard decoration and realized after Halloween that they didn't have room to store it. So, great solution: THEY dressed it up for each current holiday- Santa for Xmas, Bunny for Easter, Rainbows for Pride. Fucking brilliant. It had been written up in local new stories.

This one, I'm not sure when or why it showed up, but I first saw it when I started walking to my work studio in May, and enjoyed strolling past it all summer. It seemed to wear various ensembles, but this bridal get-up was my favorite. I snapped the picture above during dusk, sometime late August.

And I couldn't help but wonder what she was going to wear for this upcoming Halloween.

Well, lo and behold, this thirteen story love chicken just went AWOL By the first of September, this poster child for all things Día de los Muertos had vanished, and at first I thought maybe it was being freshened up for her true season.

I'm not sure if some hooligans stole it from the yard, or if the people of the house just grew tired of her and packed her up. Now that it's almost Halloween, and there is no sign of this gentle giant, I am realizing that this bony girl has flown the coop.

RIP big awesome monster skeleton. You were a highlight of my daily commute.

Since this is the season we acknowledge the transition of our modes of being from this world to the next- do you have any farewells you'd like to say?

A Bird on the Edge of Space

2021-10-26T09:32:00.002-07:00

A BIRD ON THE EDGE OF SPACE.

Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die,
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams.
For if dreams go,
Life is a barren field
Covered with snow.

-Langston Hughes

The above is a draft written in July of 2013. I think I will finish it today.

"SHE TOOK THE LEAP

AND BUILT HER

WINGS ON THE WAY DOWN."

The sign was posted on a house

just a mile down from my home,

in between the Phinney Ridge and Fremont neighborhoods, nailed up

on the wall between two doors of a duplex.

The duplex still stands,

the sign long gone,

as I suspect the tenant who posted it.

The neighborhoods have changed a bit, the result

of progress and prosperity of industry, and yet,

strangely, now slightly bled of beauty

and creativity. The folks who live there now

are less likely

to pin up a hand painted

piece of wood with the stencil of poesy.

Dreams still stand, though.

The arrogance of ambitions, the drive to go up, up, up

is still nestled in the hearts amongst us.

In me.

Is it also in you?

Currently, I'm in a tumble of urges

prompted by a lifelong dream.

Seemingly

I am quite good

at failure. Um, failures.

Also, seemingly, I've become

convulsively, amazingly persistent in the drive

to keep dreaming.

Keep going.

It's what makes this life switch the mundane

repetitive acts of eating, shitting and sleeping

to the divine push to make rainbows out of piss storms.

Girl Icarus,

you were never so good

as the false belief that you could

out shine your wings

in the orbits of the sun.

- RQ Bella

BLOG like you give a damn

2021-10-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

DAMN.

I haven't blogged in a while (ok, ok, YEARS.)

And I also haven't read blogs for that same amount of time, but there are some really cool real life people doing real life cool style stuff, and they've been on it this whole time.

When I first stumbled onto fashion blogs, the ones that really caught me were ones that I actually could relate to- only they had tremendous personal style- something special. Desiree, Dusk Devi, Vix, and Reva springs to mind- blogs possibly long gone, people still rockin' their style but not necessarily in the venue I "discovered" them.

I'll tell you what I look for- people with great style but the focus is about expressing their personality not the latest trends. Style over fashion, I say, and bonus points for thrifted, second-hand and vintage shoppers. Extra bonus points if they are over 40 years of age, and good at photography.

I enjoy photo/image heavy content especially if the photography has good lighting, strong composition and a memorable image. Clever, thoughtful posts are always appreciated.

Do you blog?

I'd like to thank a couple of style bloggers who have fun sustainable style and who have been so kind to leave comments here. For some reason, I can't figure out how to reply in the comments- so Sheila, and Ann, thank you for taking the time visit and leave your comments. You give a damn.

What blogs if any, inspire you and your personal style?

SNEEZING Selfie

2021-10-14T18:42:00.001-07:00

ACH-CHOO, BOO.

Behold: an awkward capture of myself in full sneeze. I think I love it because it's the antithesis of the purpose of the "selfie," a capture usually of an overwhelming flattering content. This selfie is so very NOT FLATTERING.

I'll confess: I'm pretty fucking good at taking a flattering selfie. In fact NOBODY takes a more flattering picture of moi, than moi. FACT: I don't know of another human being who has the patience or willingness to milk out a good angle, perfect lighting or the persistence to keep taking picture upon picture to get THAT PHOTO: the one that makes me look VERY GOOD.

But I'm a sucker for an interesting photo, and to be honest, flattering photos especially selfies are often BORING. Because omission is boring and perfection is dull.

That said, trust me, I'll be posting some flattering self portraits and selfies because, well, no one else seems interested in doing it.

(For even more disgustingly flatteringly proliferation of selfies, do check out my Instagramz here)

How do you feel about taking selfies? Are you into it? Do you do it? Any tip or tricks of the trade?

OUTFIT POST: My Unyielding Melancholy

2021-10-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

MY UNYIELDING MELANCHOLY

Worn this past summer-

I like the play of the graphic black + white with the romantic pink florals.
The sweater was a gift from Joyce. It's great for Seattle summer layering.
The tank and the shoes are new items, and both found me via Instagram ads, lol.
The skirt was a vintage Etsy find.

NOW WEARING

pink floral cotton cardigan sweater- GIFTED
black graphic tank- BOREDWALK
vintage black + pink rose floral maxi skirt- ETSY
checkerboard chunky sandals- ALOHAS

Nothing to Everything

2021-09-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing to Everything
-dedicated to Beauty Abounds

You are the bones of mountains,

the juice of fountains-

the eyes that have it.

Now yell it.

Boo, make do with what you have to do.

Be fire's ash, the tsunami's smash-

a moonlit rabbit.

Girl, do NOT quell it;

you can not foretell it.

Make yourself at home

in Tiamet's bones-

Sister Splash, you are not alone.

We mend, and so upend our mistakes.

Permit the mountains to quake,

monsoon

under the moon.

And let the cold river sing-

You are nothing....

until you are everything.

Good to See You.

2021-09-08T10:41:00.001-07:00

Oh hi.

It feels a little like logging back into MySpace and seeing the empty rooms and remnants of an old party. We did have fun, didn't we?

Lots has happened since we last spoke, and I'm sure as much on your end of things, and rather than clog up a ghostly channel on the past, let's move forward. I've been feeling an urge to just take a step back, to NOT keep up with the newest, the latest, the up-to-datest of Tik-ity Toks, Reels, Feels and Eels. I do appreciate SOCIAL MEDIA but man, am I tired of it ruling how I engage with fellow human beings.

So I'm going to get a little old fashioned, aka old school, but who knows how long this will be the deal. All I know, is that I LOVED connecting with other back in the "blogging days," how creating was just as much fun as the posting, and I'm going to send a little tendril out here to check in.

I hope you've been safe and healthy and good.

Joyce to the World

2020-06-09T09:48:00.008-07:00

Joyce and I "met" officially about 5 years ago, on the sidewalk across the street from my home. We both walk our neighborhood, and had seen each other around. I was sitting on the curb, trying to locate my cat Francis who has gone into a neighbor's back yard; Joyce was walking her dog and constant companion, Elizabeth, a friendly pooch who had sidled up to me for a few pets.

Joyce started chatting, and quite honestly didn't stop for nearly an hour. I remember waiting for a break in the conversation so I could continue looking for my cat. But as the hour wore on, I began to soften up a bit, she was so friendly and I liked her outfit.

In fact, Joyce's outfits are what stood out to me, whenever I ran into her walking her dog. She always seems to have a jaunty color on, be it her coat, scarf or shoes. She has great personal style. So for a couple of years we would stop on the street and chat whenever we crossed paths.

Joyce was always social and chatty, out and about daily walking her dog or off to shop. We had lunch a few times at her flat, which is filled with lovely antiques and collections from her travels.

She was always sharing an adventure she was off to- visiting a friend in India, exploring Egypt, going to Machu Pichu with her 90 year old boyfriend, etc. Then I didn't see her. For about six or seven months, there was no Joyce on the streets, no sign of her or Elizabeth out for a walk. Thought maybe she was out traveling still, but did worry a bit. Finally after nearly 8 months of no Joyce sightings, I ran into her, she in a ivory coat pulled over a pink sweater that matched her lipstick. Her shoes were practical sandals but she managed to add a bit of spiff with ivory and pink striped socks or something along the lines of senior citizen pizazz.

Joyce looked paler, a bit less chipper, and I asked about her well being. Her travel days were over, she told me, since she had hurt her back climbing the steps at Machu Pichu, her health had declined rapidly and she was in a lot of physical pain. She had only just recently had felt well enough to resume walking Elizabeth. We made plans to meet for lunch the next week.

When visiting Joyce, we had a great time chatting but I couldn't help but notice her change in vitality. She seemed much frailer than when I last saw her and I recognized something in her trembling hands, her shaky body. "Joyce," I cleared my throat as I bluntly asked her, "do you have Parkinson's?"

"I'm going to find out this week," she answered. Looking me in the eye, she shared her most recent medical dilemma, Having suffered poor health her whole life, her recent trips to her doctor were attempts at finding the name for what was wrong with her. She was waiting for the results of some tests.

Turns out she had been misdiagnosed a few years ago, and recently received her official diagnosis of Parkinson's. Since, she's been dealing with adjusting to the medications, as well as coping with her depression and struggle to accept her situation. This once perky, highly independent woman is facing in her golden years, an ultimate challenge. "I don't know what I thought my life was going to be, but I certainly didn't think it was going to be this."

We keep in touch, and I took on a project with Joyce, helping her de-clutter her home from some of her collections, and clean out her storage unit. Her plan was to simplify her life while she had the strength to handle the task. Also, included was her goal to clear out her wardrobe. She got rid of much of her jaunty outfits, as she wasn't going out so much, and was determined to go lean and clean. We went through her old teacher's wardrobe (she's a retired ESL high school teacher) as well as some of her recent garb, that she just felt wasn't worth the room in her closet. She also got rid of her collection of garments that she used to wear when she went to the symphony and opera. This somehow was the saddest for me, as the items were most often vintage, and opulent. So full of flounce and style. However, she felt she wasn't in the position to continue social outings. She gave me piles of velvets, silks and satin garments, which I sold on a rack at the Daily Planet last summer, to raise some money for a housecleaning fund for Joyce.

She purged so severely, that she realized in the fall that she had gotten rid of all her pants, save for a single pair of jeans and had to go online and order some bottoms.

This pandemic has been particularly hard on my friend. Since Joyce has health challenges, and is over 60, she is at high risk and so must self isolate. Fortunately for her, some young women in her building have been getting her groceries for her. But, Joyce is spending all of her time alone in her home, and even for such a solitary and independent spirit such as Joyce, this isolation comes with added challenges. She had just started grieving and processing her Parkinson's diagnosis, and now has added limitations to cope with as well.

While we've been chatting from phone every other week or so, our visits have been curtailed; I've only visited once this year, about a month and a half ago, on a Seattle sunny spring day, with us properly socially distanced on her back patio, me talking through a cotton bandana.

Elizabeth the dog has been dealing with health challenges of her own, teeth problems and a hurt leg. So the walks that used to take Joyce out into our neighborhood, sadly has come to an end.

Two totally random thoughts as I close my tribute to my friend and Phinney Ridge neighbor. I love that she plays classical music at all times in her home. We share a love for Chopin and Beethoven.

Also, Joyce used to make dolls and sew doll outfits for them, She also drew the most wonderfully precise colored pencil drawings of fruits and vegetables and flowers. She is a kindred spirit and I hope she can find cheer in this challenging time.

Would you like to see and hear more of Joyce?

Leave me your comment and I'll pass your kind words on to her.

EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL.

2020-03-05T10:33:00.002-08:00

EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL.

I'd recently been playing with old and vintage photos, trying to come up with creative ways of re-use. Then, my boyfriend sent me THIS LINK featuring an artist doing AMAZING work using embroidery on a photo, and I am in love! I love the particular picture above where the bride literally BLOOMS on her special day. So cool.

A STITCH SITCH.

It reminds me a bit of another artist I follow, Kathy Laskey from Silverton, Colorado. Her Instagram is full of fanciful re-workings of vintage imagery topped off with embroidery. I definitely recommend a follow or you can bookmark her Etsy shop HERE.

Creative Embellishments, image from Haiku Moving Co on Instagram

It is with no small irony that I relish my action of sharing on the interwebs some of the WONDERFUL stuff I discover via online. What a world that opens up to ya, if you let it.

BITS + PIECES

Bridal Bloom, digital overlay on vintage photograph by RQ Bella

Offline, I recently received a STACK of vintage photos by a fellow vintage dealer, when he heard I was in the process of making art with vintage media. I'm looking forward in exploring my own ways to bloom via this wonderful windfall of old pics.

EVERYTHING IS MOST DEF

Here's something I did last year, pretty primitive compared to the above artists, but hey, ya gotta start somewhere!

Tell me, are YOU a creative or artistic sort? What do you like to work with?

CITIZEN NOTE: any photo editing done in this post, is with the helpful assistance of PicMonkey. You, too, can spruce up your photos + graphics by joining today! Use this LINK for a special deal.

Looks, Familiar

2020-02-04T12:10:00.002-08:00

PEEK-A-BOO-BOO-BOO-BOO

Oof, where have I been?
(Here's where I insert the bad pun: CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?)
A big lapse of posting, and ya know what? I feel no need to apologize for that.

It appears I had been needing a B-I-G break from blogging because I just couldn't be bothered by it for the last, um, year or so. I had other platforms where I have been actively daily (check my IG feed) in spite of my constant whining about the lameness of social media (esp Facebook!) let me admit to you, almost to your face, that I LOVE how connected I can be to friends and foe the world over by logging on and tuning in.

TRUE TRANSFORMATIONS

I have been busy dealing with a very personally challenging year. AND guess what, bitches?
I HAVE SURVIVED SAID CHALLENGES AND YEAR. And dare I say, I might be even better for it. It has be ROUGH. It has be TOUGH. And, thankfully, it has spun itself into some deliciously, delightfully, spiritual gold.

And for that, I am grateful.

One thing about dealing with challenges is that it can really jump start one's creative juices.
Last year, exactly to the month, in one of the lowest points of my life, I turned to making art as a form of emotional therapy. AND HOLY FUCKING MOSES, did a flood gate of creative juices open up! I'll be sure to tell you more about it in a future post, but the daily practice of making art, resulted in a wonderful release of emotional blocks as well as sales of said art AND having a piece included in an art show at my local neighborhood association. I was just recently ask to contribute to another venue featuring original works, so I've got even more incentive to keep creating.

CAT-ITUDE

Another big improvement last year, has been the mellowing of my cat Francis and his growing affection to his humans, me being a central figure. He has chilled and warmed up to us, actually seeming to enjoy our company. Like me, he has grown fat and contented, and so we head into 2020 with some wind in cat tail sails.

So expect to see (and read) more from me in the upcoming future. A big hearty thank-you for those who have taken time to read this. Enjoy your day!

SIDE NOTE: If anyone is interested in jump starting some of their own creativity, I highly recommend using Pic Monkey for fun photoshop and graphics creation. (You can probably guess that the above images employed their website for some fun image play) Use THIS LINK https://picmonkey.love/ref/4nhVNp for a $12-20 discount on your yearly subscription and I'll get a $20 gift card for referring you.

Upside Down, Sunny Side Up

2019-10-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

UPSIDE DOWN CAKE: you can not get me to any place I am not willing to go.

For years, I've been blaming others for my own unhappiness. It is only recently that I've been able to see that the upset I've felt by others truly, unduly stems from within. It has always been that I've felt upset by something "they" did, or said. Or didn't do, or didn't say. Slights came easily, and I guess that's come from a life time of practice.

It was only in working with a loved one's issue of poor mental health, that I saw what I have been doing to myself. That I too, had been sitting on a lifetime of savored wounds, hurts and unhappiness. That in spite of it all, what each situation had in common, was (wait for it) ME. Tah-dah.

In fact, if I traced the chain of my own unhappiness like a trail of breadcrumbs, it went way WAY WAY WAAAAAAY back to early childhood. Maybe even sooner. Soooo, how can X be the root of me being hurt or unhappy, if the bruised and swollen feeling of neglect originated before the CAUSE?

It was a humbling moment, when I followed the pain all the way to the first time I felt it.

BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER NOT FELT IT.

Oh don't get me wrong. I have also felt a tremendous amount of natural exuberance and joy. So perhaps that is why I have externalized any sort of hurt and unhappiness to outside sources. It was DAD. It was feeling overwhelmed and insecure from moving every year of my life until I was 12. It was the chain link fence pressing against my face while being punched in the back by the school bully who would single me out every day after school all my second grade year, and nobody ever thought to stop him.

IT WAS THEM. The boss who flirted with me and when I didn't succumb to his advances, down voted a raise and a promotion. The unfortunate habit of falling in love with dudes who just didn't seem to love me back. The bitterness and anger was directed at OUT THERE. And what THEY DID.

Knee jerk anger and self righteousness and a bleeding out of joy. Because of THEM.

Only, well, you know where this is going don't you? Only I traced back the pain and the hurt and the sorrow to before them, and what I found was me. Me being unhappy.

I never saw myself as unhappy though. Me, fun loving, made of sunshine MOI? Naw.

When an intense bout of depression hit a couple of years ago, and I sought treatment with medication, I thought, well it's because I have good reason to be depressed. I had suffered some unfortunate circumstances, and had been under a constant yet low grade stress FOR A VERY LONG TIME and it was taking its toll on my health. I had almost lost someone very near and dear to me. VERY CLOSE, and it was so very painful. I just sort of crumbled, mind and body, like old vintage foam turning into devil dust, just an irritating cloying powdery thing, possessing no malice but in the way and useless.

I "suddenly" was unable to function at a normal level My thoughts were hard to corral, I seemed to have lost any ability to trouble shoot, and could not have been able to problem solve my way out of a paper bag. It was embarrassing and there didn't seem anything I could do about it.

Thankfully, I had a handful of folks who were kind and supportive, and without their supplemental love and support, it is unlikely I would have come out in as good of shape as I did. Thank goodness, ya only need a handful of helpful people around you, as the likelihood of more than a few friends sticking by you during tough times is pretty slim to none. Trust me, I've seen it, sadly not only in my own life, but in the situation of others- WHEN YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, YOU'LL KNOW WHO YOUR TRUE FRIENDS ARE. The ones who show up are rare, and seldom the ones you'd predict.

With my brain chemistry somewhat improved, I was able to think more clearly, and did come up with some strategies for improving my life. Not only in action but in perspective. I did some spring cleaning on behaviors, actions and habitual thoughts that were no longer serving me, if they ever did, and took it upon myself to weed out weedy patches of my life.

Weeding is a work of progress, is it not? So there's no actual ending to it, if you are really commit to growth and improvement. BUT here is where I am now. In the thick of it, devoted in being the #1 advocate for myself, and my well being. There are struggles, constant, as depression can be treated but never really fixed. I am now working on improving my body health by addressing issues in my diet. I have taken to daily self appraisals in terms of re-training my thoughts to support health rather than suppress it.

Part of the weeding process however, is discernment. I accept the empowering act of selecting the PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS that I keep- it's my life and I am the head gardener. By eliminating the people who do not have it in themselves to "be a cheer leader" or be there for me when I've reached out for help, I've made more room for those who do. This was a huge A-HA moment for me. I cherish more than ever the experiences and the people who nourish and enhance my life. This is the garden I now tend to.

Perhaps the turning point was the realization and the acceptance that my good or bad times, all fall to me. It's up to me to trouble shoot, problem solve and cherish. My life, my party. My roses.

What about you?
Do you have a trick to turn your upside downs to sunny side ups?

Whoops.

2019-08-22T10:46:00.001-07:00

Life comes with a lot of starts and stops- blogs too I suppose. What began as a new blog re-boot, turned into a rather lackluster fizzle. Second post was just a picture, when there was supposed to have been an article attached to it.

My bad.

Feeling a little topsy turvy, and not particularly profesh about that.

Let's start our re-start again, shall we?

See you on the flip side. =Bella